The French government has confirmed the presence of the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu among domestic poultry in the southeastern part of the country.
It is the first outbreak among domestic waterfowl in the European Union.
The French agriculture ministry said late Friday that lab tests have verified that the deadly strain killed a turkey on a farm near Lyons. The farm has been sealed off and more than 11,000 birds have been slaughtered since the illness struck Thursday.
Previously the deadly H5N1 form of the virus has been found only in wild birds in France and other EU countries.
The Japanese government on Friday banned the import French poultry products.
Separately, European Union health ministers met in Vienna Friday to discuss a public campaign to ease fears and raise awareness.
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